Shared Branch Awareness Week

Spectra Credit Union is excited to share that we are joining our fellow credit unions across the country to celebrate Shared Branching Awareness Week May 19-23, 2025. Throughout the week, we will be reminding 1.3 million members across the U.S. of this added value that makes life easier.

We have proudly partnered with other credit unions across the country to provide you with convenient access to your accounts and money, creating the Shared Branching network that allows members of other credit unions to use their branches to conduct basic transactions. What does that mean for you? You can conduct transactions at more than 5,000 locations nationwide. Whether you are across town and can’t get to your branch or have relocated, your credit union remains accessible because of Shared Branching.

From Standalone Branches to Nationwide Shared Network

Shared branching has come a long way. As highlighted in a recent blog by Velera:

The Shared Branch Network’s journey began in the early 1990s in Michigan, where Service Centers Corporation opened standalone branches owned by multiple credit unions to serve all their members jointly. Inspired by their Michigan counterparts, leaders from California credit unions formed Financial Service Centers Corporation to bring the concept to the West Coast. In 1992, Credit Union Service Corporation opened shared branches in the Southeast and soon pioneered interstate shared branch transactions.

The entities created mutual conventions for sharing, pricing and switching through Credit Union Service Centers Network, Inc. The network grew rapidly, evolving into the Shared Branch Network we know today, identified by the blue Co-op triangle at each Shared Branch location.

Here are some benefits of Shared Branch, which include:

· Vacation Transactions. Members traveling within the 50 states, Puerto Rico or Guam can access cash or make transfers at nearby Shared Branch locations.

· Emergency Access. When disaster strikes a member’s home branch, Shared Branches provide a reliable alternative.  

· College Student Support. Credit union membership teaches money management to away-from-home students. And when they need a little extra support, help is just a branch visit away. 

Stop by your local branch and celebrate what makes your membership at a credit union so unique. Looking for a local shared branch location? Click here to find one closest to you!

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